When I was invited to Hudson’s private suite at E3, I was excited and expecting some typical games from the company. Perhaps another Bomberman or something equally as colorful and friendly. Imagine the look on my face when they unveiled Calling to me, a survival horror for Wii. Although I wasn’t shown much, the video I was shown spoke volumes about the development of the game.
The story behind Calling is reminiscent of a few Japanese anime and dramas. Rumors across the internet say that if one visits the Black Page website and see something besides the all black page and the counter, they’ll die. Many are skeptical, calling the site a hoax or perhaps some sort of viral marketing. For the unfortunate few who view the website and see something, the counter keeps track of their deaths. This is where the main characters come into play, because unknown to the masses, those who do see something else are between life and death.
With other survival horror games, you’re fighting zombies with explosives and sharp objects. That’s not the case with Calling. Instead players are given basic equipment such as a flash light and notepads that normal day folks might have around. You’ll probably need it too because you need to discover the truth behind what’s going on in the space between space.
The developers behind the game are aiming to trigger fear without the use of blood so much. As this is exclusive the Wii (so far), they’re also trying to use the system. No control schemes were detailed, but I was told sounds will come from the Wii Remote if you listen for them. This could potentially be part of the way they plan to invoke fear in players, especially if there’s no known source for the sound in your path.
If you’re expecting a fast pace game, this may not be your cup of tea. You’ll need to find keys and look for clues which can prevent a hectic pace. I was also told the story slowly builds as well. So if you’re looking for an intense, creepy, dark, thriller of a game, you may want to keep Calling on your radar for now. According to Hudson though, those interested will have a long wait as it’s not going to be released until Spring 2010. Until then however, here’s a few sneak peaks of the game below.
More here in the Calling gallery.
